Craftsman tablesaw (old)

On Thu, 15 Nov 2012 20:50:36 -0800 (PST), DJayhawk
much of a factor does the belt have in performance? The belt doesn't look bad
at all but the saw has been in grandpas basement shop for over 10 years unused.
When your doing your tune up make sure everything is turning freely
and desn't have too much run out.
Mike M

The blade is true and 90, but the rear part of the fence appears to run in
toward the blade. That has to be where the binding is coming from.
I spent some time aligning my fence and made a couple cuts feeding really slow.
It's still not cutting how I hoped it would. It maybe be that I do need to
upgrade the blade.
Thanks for all the suggestions. What blade should I get?

slow. It's still not cutting how I hoped it would. It maybe be that I do need
to upgrade the blade.

While this might be hard to swallow, I recommend something like a
Forrest WWII regular kerf, 40 teeth.
Yes it is expensive, $100 plus a little but it will stay sharp for a
very very long time and can be resharpened dozens of times. AND if you
upgrade your saw it will most likely be transferable. ;~)

What do you guys think about blade stabilizers? There were on the saw when I
started using it. Since I put the B&D blade on I reinstalled the stanilizers
too. Do I need them? Do they have any effect on performance?

On Sat, 17 Nov 2012 08:41:07 -0800 (PST), DJayhawk
started using it. Since I put the B&D blade on I reinstalled the stanilizers
too. Do I need them? Do they have any effect on performance?
The threads on my arbor do not extend far enough out to allow me to
use a stabilizer on the arbor side of the blade. I use one on the
other side.
Definitely use them if you can, especially with a thin-kerf blade.

They're a definite help on thin kerf blades. Opinions differ on their
utility of a full kerf blade, but they can't hurt. One thing I do is
mark mine so I always install them in the same position relative to each
other. That might be overkill, but then again it can't hurt.

--
When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and
carrying a cross.

I've used them on thin kerf blade and they do help.
However, it's all irrelevant when your saw isn't properly set-up.
The thin kerf blade with stabilizers will still flex some when the stock
is binding, putting pressure against the side of the blade.

On Sat, 17 Nov 2012 08:41:07 -0800 (PST), DJayhawk
started using it. Since I put the B&D blade on I reinstalled the stanilizers
too. Do I need them? Do they have any effect on performance?
When I had my Craftsman saw I had some Craftsman stabilizers on it and
they made it worse, but they likely were'nt true and created
distortion in the thin kerf blade.
Mike M

run in toward the blade. That has to be where the binding is coming from.

really slow. It's still not cutting how I hoped it would. It maybe be
that I do need to upgrade the blade.

There's a place near me that has a boatload of Freud - LM72R010X that
they are unloading for $25 each. You could pay shipping and still have
it for 1/2 of what other places are selling it. It's a heavy duty full
kerf blade.
http://www.generalindustrial.com /
(800) 371-2220

slow. It's still not cutting how I hoped it would. It maybe be that I do need
to upgrade the blade.

When you say true, does that mean the to the slot/(table top or what
ever you are using as a reference) and blade are absolutely parallel? or
is the blade parallel to the fence?
One thing I just thought of if the saw has been use a lot, how are the
bearings on the blade spindle. If they are worn that could cause
binding and slow the saw down.
You asked about the belt, if it is going bad and causing problems I
would think that those problems were that it is about to break not slow
the saw down.
If the belt is to tight that could cause the bearing to bind on both the
blade an in the motor causing the saw to run slow.
We have been talking about alignment, is the motor aligned with the
pulley on the saw blade.
The fact that the blade is 90 degrees to the table should have nothing
to do with binding.

A good blade will make a big difference. Check to make sure the fence is
parallel to the blade (it helps if it's parallel to the miter slot, but if
you're not using the gauge it doesn't make too much difference.)
Puckdropper

With your cast iron top where the blade bushing assembly is bolted to
that top, from my experience it is easier to use the miter slot as a
reference for both the blade and the fence. Fence can move but it is
difficult to move the miter slot, especially in your saw where it is a
grove in the cast iron table. So if the blade is set parallel to the
slot it is going to take a lot to change alignment.
Using the slot for reference makes check the fence easy. Using your
adjustable square, On one end, set the square against the slot and
adjust the ruler so it is against the fence. Lay the square in the same
position at the other end, and adjust the fence until both ends are both
the same distance from the slot.

I think 1hp motor is plenty for plywood, assuming it's still in good
shape. Plywood is stable and doesn't bind the blade, has no knots, is
usually made mostly of soft woods. No problem with a sharp blade.
Ever try to use a dull utility knife vs. a new one. Night and day,
right? Even when putting much more "horse power" behind the blade, it
cuts poorly and wears you out.
I did some really nice work with a lousy table saw and a $100 blade.
Like others have said, it has to be set-up properly. No blade will cut
cleanly and not bog down if the fence is pinching the stock behind the
blade.
Freud has some great blades for well under $75. And yes, full kerf will
yield better results, but may slow down your feed rate on a 1hp motor.
It's worth it, imo.

Either the alignment of the saw is bad (and the plywood is somehow binding
in the cut - look for scorchmarks) or the blade is very dirty/dull, or
your electrical wiring is too lightweight.
One horsepower should be enough. More than enough.
Ripping a long strip of plywood, it matters a LOT that you and
your helpers feed the work straight, and keep it flat, like
with a very large outfeed and/or infeed table. Usually
the long rip on 8-foot sheets is done with a guide and
Skilsaw, it's just easier that way.

Yesterday I was ripping a piece of 1X2, and realize there is something
I do that does effect performance,
Most of the time I want very finished cuts for the type of work I am
doing. To decrease the angle the teeth that the are hitting the face of
the board, I adjust the height of the blade so it is about a half to
three quarter inch above the board. This lower angle adds cutting teeth
to the cutting length. ie as you lower the blade from full height, the
angle of the blade in the wood goes from nearly vertical
to nearly horizontal.
However with hard woods the greater cut length also adds to the load on
the saw. If you are using a low blade height you can reduce the load by
raising the blade to reduce the cut length in the wood.

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